The flawless white light of the avatar instantly turned a bruised, sickening purple. The perfect, humanoid geometry aggressively bubbled and warped, frantically trying to resolve the impossible mathematics of the malware.
"ERROR! CRITICAL ERROR!" the Architect shrieked in their minds, the voice degrading into a high-pitched dial-up squeal.
The proxy violently shattered. It didn't turn to ash; it exploded into a billion jagged, red error squares that blasted outward like shrapnel.
The concussive force of the digital detonation slammed into Sebastian, throwing him backward. His heavy boots skidded across the rusted grating, sparking wildly before he dug his heels in to stop his momentum.
The moment the proxy was destroyed, the blinding white tractor beam that had caught the Rusthound abruptly snapped.
"BRACE!" Gwen screamed at the top of her lungs, grabbing the stairwell railing.
